


Indiana Rose

by KultaKettu



Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2018-12-02 15:59:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 7,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11512692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KultaKettu/pseuds/KultaKettu
Summary: What really happened in L.A when Axl gets the band together. But it's all in my head, and I never write anything down before I go public





	1. Chapter 1

Indiana Rose

Chapter 1

Axl Rose was tired, he had just hitched a ride all the way from Indiana with Izzy and now they were in Los Angeles with no money, no food, and nowhere to sleep. They kept walking for a while, Axl with a sleeping bag and a carpet bag full of essentials slung over his shoulders, Izzy with a sleeping bag and his guitar, and some money in his back pocket for the payphone to secretly call Axl's grandmother back at home in Lafayette, to let her know they had arrived relatively safely in Los Angeles. But that would be when he could find a payphone, of course.

"Ah, a bus stop. This will do. You can have the seating rail, I'll take the floor," Axl stopped walking.

"But it's raining!" whined Izzy. "We don't want to be wet as well as hungry and skint."

"Shut UP, Isbell."

"I hate you Axl."

"I hate you too, Ugly Ass." Axl was busy fitting the cushion that would substitute a pillow, into the slip in his sleeping bag. He would much rather have flung it at Izzy's head, but thought better of it.

Somewhere nearby.....

Two blondes were walking along the sidewalk together. "So where on earth are you from?" one asks the other.

"Cleveland, man. Yourself?"

"Seattle, but I don't miss it. Oh I'm Duff by the way."

"Stevie, uh, Steven. Adler. I play drums."

"I play bass but I need a band. Maybe we should get together."

"Yeah, nice idea, man. But first, let me go and take a....SLASH!"

"How disgusting!" Duff thought to himself. But then, he noticed a darker skinned than themselves, slightly younger than him, man with BIG HAIR, falling into step beside him. Steven gave him a hug and Duff thought they must know each other, as you wouldn't do that to a stranger.

"Hey, I'm Slash," he looked over at Duff with a grin.

"Yeah, I thought as much. Duff McKagan. And what brings you here?"

"Oh I'm just looking for work. I kinda play guitar in a band, but I don't have one right now."

"What, guitar or band?"

"Uh, both." 

"Ohhhh." 

They walk on, past the bus shelter. Suddenly they notice a figure, aparently asleep, on the seating rail and another on the floor.

"What in the hell is this?" asks Slash.

"I don't know man, but, excuse me, you can't sleep here," Steven called out.

"Shut up, punk!" called a voice from inside the sleeping bag. "Go away, right now. Or I'm gonna wake my ass up and bash your head in!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, I'm sorry to disturb you, but what are you doing here?" Steven asked quite innocently of the lump in the sleeping bag.

"Mind your own business, punk!"

"OK, I'm minding it." Steven was about to walk away when Izzy woke up. "I'm Jeffrey Dean Isbell, Izzy, and this is my friend. Axl the asshole!"

"Hello Axl the ass, oh never mind that. You look like a girl."

"SHUT UP, Punk! Or I'm gonna kick you in the nuts!"

"You can't sleep here, it's raining," Duff had noticed the weather.

"Where are we gonna sleep then, Jelly Ass, got any ideas?"

"Uh yeah actually I do. Slash has a place not far from here, you can sleep there. We sleep there too. Every night. But first, BEER!"

"Come on," Steven leads the way. "Let's go up the Rainbow and see what everyone thinks of Izzy and his woman!"

"FUCK YOU, Punk!" Axl hissed.

Steven decided to dig deeper. "You don't like me, do you?"

"No I fucking don't."

"It's not you," Izzy added. "He doesn't like anyone. There's even been times when he wishes I would just...."

"Fuck off?" suggested Axl.

"Well, you say it to me often enough." The rest of the gang were sure Izzy was hiding something beneath his shyness, but they weren't sure what. Soon after, they arrived at the Rainbow bar, and ordered enough beer to sink a battleship.

After a few drinks, Steven was about to doze off with his head on Slash, when "What the hell are you looking at?" called a voice from across the room. 

"Nothing," replied Izzy, averting his eyes.

"Girlfriend can't save you now, ass hole!"

"That's no girl, that's my brother," Izzy managed, as the owner the voice approached them.

"Girl or no, you have no right to look at me like that, ass hole!" 

Izzy stood up, silently wishing he had a gun, or a knuckle duster, or a rolling pin, whatever came first.

Suddenly......"FUCK YOU!" and Izzy was picking himself off the floor. He put a hand up to his face and felt blood running down his cheek. He looked over at Axl and that did it. 

"I'm gonna kill your ass!" and Axl stood up, his almost six foot self seeming more powerful than the drunk standing before him.


	3. Chapter 3

When Axl had finished dealing with Deranged Drunk Man, and then picked Izzy up off the floor, the boys paid for their beer and left. When they got back to Slash's place, Steven said: "Hey, the way you sorted that guy out, I mean, how do you do it?" 

Axl looked disgusted and replied, "I just do it. I don't know how, it's inside me, and when I get mad it comes out."

Steven got scared and mumbled "Okay," before trotting off to see what Duff and Slash were up to. 

Axl looked over at Izzy, "Well, that got rid of him!"

"Don't be so bloody horrible," Izzy didn't sound half as impressed as Axl expected him to be.

"What's the matter with you?"

"What do you mean, what's the matter with me? I took a good kicking for you, Rose, and you think you've got problems? It's not the first time, either."

"Won't be the last," retorted Axl.

"I hate you too."

"Fuck off Izzy." 

"No, you fuck off. I'm just about done with you. We finally meet people we might actually have something in common with, people who might actually be as weird as us, and YOU have to go get yourself in another fight. I don't believe you sometimes."


	4. Chapter 4

Steven was about to give up hammering on the door when he found a new tactic. "Izzy, Izzy. WAKE UP!" He came running into the room.

"Mrrrrrrrrrrr."

"Izzy, wake up!"

"Go away."

"Ok, I guess I'll sit right here and wait for you to get your lazy ass up, then."

Realising it wasn't Axl, Izzy woke up.

"Steven. What do you want?"

"You....."

Izzy looked up from under the bedsheet. "WHAT? FUCK OFF!"

"Nooooo, not THAT WAY. I want to find out what's going on inside your head, and quick, before Axl comes back."

"What you mean, before Axl comes back? Where'd he get to this early?"

"Gone for a run with Slash."

"Oh good luck Slash."

"Well?"

Izzy lifted his shirt, revealing so many marks that Steven wondered if they'd ever go away.

"Shit!" 

"Don't sound so surprised. I took a good kicking for him last night."

"Yeah I know." 

Izzy sat up, revealing a blood stain from his cheek on the pillow. 

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" was all Steven could manage, before "Duff! Fuck sake get your ass in here!"

Footsteps were heard before Duff's head appeared round the door. "What?"

He took a look at the blood stain. "Oh, well, we'll have to fix that up before Axl gets back."


	5. Chapter 5

When Axl and Slash returned from their run, Slash went to get a shower while Axl, well.....

"What the hell do you think you're doing, huh, confiding in HIM? I mean, that asshole. He can't even spell his own name, and you're telling him your world."

Izzy growled in Axl's direction. "I had to tell someone, I can't let you rule my life forever."

"You WHAT? I'm gonna get you, and when I do, you'll be sorry, you filthy animal!"

Izzy got up to use the bathroom.

"Yeah that's it, run away like you always do. You can never face your problems, you always expect me to do it for you. But this time, I'm done! Deal with it yourself!"

Axl stomped off.

Izzy unlocked the door and sighed to himself. "Why does he always have to go and fuck everything up? Grrrrrr!"

Steven, who had heard every word Axl had said, looked over at Duff, disgusted. "I hate that fucker!"

"It's ok," Duff took Steven's head in his lap. "He doesn't mean it, he's not right in the head."

Slash was in the shower, blissfully unaware of what was going on, but not for long.....

Izzy decided that when Axl got this mad, the best thing to do was just back off and leave him alone and things would come out fine in the end. However, Axl had other ideas. 

"Hey, you! You....BASTARD!" 

Axl's fist connected with Izzy's side, and he got low to protect himself.

"If you tell anyone I did that, I'm gonna finish the job and when I'm done, I'm gonna bury you under the bath. When they come looking for you, it'll be too late. You'll just be bones. It's not like they'll miss you anyway, I bet everyone back home hasn't even realised you've been gone."

After a while Axl gave up. "I'm going out. And FUCK YOU!" Axl spat, and then left, slamming the door behind himself.

Slash popped his head round the bathroom door, "What the hell is going on?" and upon seeing Izzy he added "Jesus!" under his breath.


	6. Chapter 6

Izzy felt as if he was sleeping, but he wasn't. In his mind he kept seeing Axl, but he didn't know why. He was awoken by a voice yelling, "Izzy. Come on, man, wake your ass up!"

"Go away, Axl."

"It's not Axl, it's me," the voice replied. Izzy opened his eyes to see Steven standing over him. 

"What do you want? Go away."

"Ok, I'll go away, but I wouldn't want to be dead on the floor when Axl drags his sorry ass back here."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"Oh, uh it's just that you and Axl had a huge fight, and you're dead on the floor and Axl went out and he didn't come back, and what's going on with him?"

"It's a long story, maybe one day I'll tell it, but not right now. What the hell happened?"

"Oh I'm not quite aware, but I'm sure this had something to do with it. Look." Steven gently lifted Izzy's shirt.

"Fuck!" Izzy hissed, and fainted.

"Double fuck!" Steven sat down so Izzy would land on him and not the floor. "DUFF!"

"What? Oh God not again! Come on Izzy, for fuck sake. Where's Slash?"

"He went outside for a smoke." 

"Oh how very helpful of him. Well, don't just sit there."

Steven wriggled out from underneath Izzy. "Now what the fuck are we gonna do?"

"Not much at the moment," replied Duff. "One's done a runner, one's dead, and one's smoking. What a bloody great band we're gonna have!"


	7. Chapter 7

Izzy woke up feeling not quite himself. He'd been awake half the night wondering where Axl was, but the rest of the boys didn't seem too bothered. When Izzy got downstairs, Slash was making breakfast, Duff and Steven had gone shopping with what little money they had, to buy food for the week.

"Coffee?" asked Slash.

"Yeah," replied Izzy, "and strong." 

The words "Still nothing from Axl, then?" were barely past Slash's lips when they both heard knocking on the door.

"What the.....?" Izzy grumbled, getting up to go answer it.

"Forgot my key," said a voice from the other side of the door.

"Well, that's funny, seeing as there's only one, and I have it," thought Slash to himself, but instead, he said "Jesus! What happened to you?"

"Went under a bus." Axl was standing at the door with his long red hair tied back in a messy ponytail, with blood running down his face, blood on his knuckles, in fact it was everywhere. 

"You look like shit," Izzy said the first thing that came into his head. "Did you really go under a bus?"

"Go drown yourself, Isbell."

"Didn't change you then, did it?" Izzy shot back.

"Did I mention that I hate you?" Axl wandered in, flopping down on the couch.

By this time Duff and Steven had returned from the store with a wheely bag full of groceries.

"Fuck, what happened to him?" asked Steven.

"You mind your business, punk!" Axl threw a pillow at him.

"You missed," Steven caught the pillow and gently bopped it back, taking a perfect shot at Axl's head.

Later, Duff decided he would attempt to calm Axl while washing the blood from his face. 

"Don't touch me, asshole!"

"Sit still, you moron," Duff said.

Steven, who was sitting on Axl to keep him still, decided to move. *boing boing*

"Sit still, you moron!" Axl whined, taking hold of Izzy's hand. "Oh God, I think I'm gonna be....BLER!"

Slash came running into the room with a bucket, just in time.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning Slash woke everybody up. Except Axl of course. Axl was still asleep on the sofa with his sick bucket. Duff came into the living room bouncing up and down like an idiot. "I need a wee! I need a wee!" He ran upstairs and accidentally trod on the creaky floorboard.

"DUFF!" hissed Slash. "Shhhhh!"

"Steven's being unusually quiet," said Izzy. "I wonder why?"

Steven came bounding into the room wearing a big grin. "I'm just doing the housework, lalalalala!" 

"STEVEN! SHHHHH!"

Steven retreated from the room with a dustpan and a feather duster. Slash, however, well.....

"RASHOO! RASHOO!"

"Slash! Shhhhhh......!"

Duff came down the stairs....."Where's Izzy?"

"I'm outside doing the trash can," replied Izzy's voice. "And don't you dare 'Shhhh!' me!"

And Axl woke up.

"I don't feel so good."

"Well, that's understandable, you look like shit," replied Steven. "Can I get you anything?"

"I need inspiration."

"Haven't got any of them. Can I get you some aspirin?"

"Yeah, that should do it."

"And I'll empty this," said Izzy, trotting off to the bathroom with the bucket. A few minutes later he was back. "Are you gonna tell me what happened last night?"

"Nothin'," replied Axl with a sleepy look on his face.

"Oh come on William, don't give me that. What was it, drink, drugs? I'm not stupid, you know."

"Don't you William me, oh and no it wasn't drink, or drugs. I owe someone some money, and he wants it now. By tonight. Or I'm fucked."

"How much money do you have?"

"Nothin'."

"Hey, guys, how much money do you have?" Izzy asked enquiringly of the others.

"About ten dollars between us," answered Slash. "Why?"

"No reason," murmured Izzy, and turning back to Axl, "Yeah, you're fucked."

Axl paled, and glanced over at Izzy. "What are we gonna do?"

"WE? What's this we business?"

"Oh, well I always help you out of your shit. I thought you might help me out of mine."

"Oh, God," moaned Izzy, followed by "Okay."

Axl felt sick. "I need a gun."

"Don't have a gun," replied Steven.

"Knuckle duster?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Bad luck me, then."

Suddenly, the door is almost flung off its hinges by a large, scary looking man, now standing in the doorway.

"BAILEY!" he yells. "Meet us on the main street in half an hour, and bring the money. Or you'll be bones!"

Axl glanced over at Izzy. Izzy stroked Axl's long red hair and took a deep breath. "Don't worry, Rose, we'll think of something."


	9. Chapter 9

Axl strode down the main street and stopped by the lamp post where he saw the scary man from earlier, standing alone, waiting for him. "Like a lone wolf," Axl thought to himself, as he pulled the $100 out from his pocket and counted it, for the fifth time. 

"Okay, Axl, you think you can take him on your own?" Izzy asked, a look of concern coming over his face.

"Yeah, man, it'll be fine. I've finished bigger than him before, and I'll do it again."

"If you're sure, then, this is where I leave you," Izzy gently slapped Axl on the back and walked away to where Slash, Duff, and Steven were waiting down the street.

"Hey Bailey, I see you got my money," said the man Axl nicknamed "Dick Face."

"Yeah, Dick Face," Axl handed him the money.

"This it? Where's the rest?"

"Oh, I uh, I could only get $100."

"Well, that's your bad luck." Dick Face cleared his throat, and three others, bigger than him, appeared from out of nowhere.

"Fuck!" Axl thought. 

Later, when Axl still hadn't returned....

"Do you think we should go look for him? He told me he wouldn't be long, and he's been gone over an hour."

"He can look after himself," muttered Slash as he poured himself a coffee and handed one to Duff.

"I'm not so sure about that," replied Steven. "He gives it the big I am, but really he's just a lost soul with an overactive attitude."

"What do you think we should do?" asked Duff. "I don't really wanna go after them. I mean, look at me, and look at the size of that asshole...."

"Yeah, he'd kinda kick the hell out of you," said Slash.

"That's why we should all go." Izzy answered, sitting on the bottom step of the stairs and putting his boots on.

"Come on, lazy ass," Slash held the door open for Steven, and they all walked off in search of Axl. However, it was dark and they only had a small torch which didn't give out much light, so they didn't hold out much hope.

"Still no sign?" asked Duff.

"Nah, nothing. Yet," replied Izzy, thinking to himself that Axl had probably finished with Dick Face and gone off to the bar to celebrate with a beer, at least he hoped Axl was in the bar.

"Hey, guys, maybe we should go up the Rainbow and check there."

"BEER!" Steven started to run, but they hadn't gotten far when.....

"SHIT!" Izzy yelled.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Thank you everyone who has commented and left feedback. I'm just so grateful for all the good vibes people are sending me, by letting me know that someone out there actually reads my stuff! Thank you

Axl felt sick. He thought he was asleep, but he couldn't have been, because he thought he kept hearing voices from far away. He couldn't make out what they were saying until...

"AXL!" Izzy was beside him in seconds, holding his hand, willing him to wake up. "Axl, its okay, I'm here now. Come on. Don't you dare die on me Rose, not now. For fuck sake, man, I love you."

Axl didn't really want to wake up, but hearing Izzy say "I love you!" Axl decided he wanted to hear it again, just to make sure, after all these years. "Say it again," he managed, moving so that his eyes were on Izzy.

"What? Oh God, I thought.....well, never mind that. I love you!"

"Okay, so I have to be dead for you to tell me you love me?"

"Shut up, Rose. What happened, anyway?"

Axl put a hand up to his face, and realising there was blood, replied "I don't remember," and fainted.

"Oh for fuck sake!" moaned Izzy, as Axl landed on him.

Slash waited until Axl had come round again, and extended a hand in his direction. "Right, up you come, asshole!"

Axl would rather have knocked him out, but accepted the hand and stood up. He felt dizzy, as if the view was spinning, and felt sick again. He then proceeded to vomit into the street.

"Okay, so you're not dead then?" Steven came bounding up.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but not yet."

"Well, that's good. Izzy was beginning to think...."

"SHUT UP, Boof Head!"

Steven shut up.

Duff came up with the torch and was shocked to discover the scene. "Fuck me, has somebody died out here?"

"Oh Christ, not you as well! And get that thing outta my face!" Axl vomited again.

When Axl was feeling slightly more like himself, the boys walked on, Steven bouncing around like a kangaroo on steroids, and Axl with one arm around Slash and the other around Duff. Izzy was just grateful to have Axl back with him, safe, in almost one piece. They stopped at a public restroom, with a light, so that Steven could have a wee and Izzy could see some of the marks Dick Face and his morons had left on Axl. 

"You look like death."

"Stop saying that word. I'm still here," Axl had tied his hair back out of his eyes and was examining himself in the mirror. "I'll be fine, it's just a flesh wound." He was wiping some of the blood from his face with his shirt when Izzy noticed something. 

"Shit, man, there's a shoe print on your back."

"What?" Axl turned round, holding up the back of his shirt. "CRAP!" He went dizzy again and sunk to his knees. "Oh great," he thought to himself. "I might look like something from Frankenstein, but I'm not gonna die here, in a public bathroom, in the middle of the night." He turned to Izzy. "Take me home, Slave."


	11. Chapter 11

After struggling for nearly a half hour to get a very sleepy Axl up the stairs, Izzy fell into bed. Slash, however, was not amused with Axl and his behaviour. He confided in Steven and Duff, while drinking coffee in the kitchen. 

"What the hell is with that dude, I mean, he's seriously messed up, man."

"Yeah, but he got big shit goin' on."

"Why are you on his side, all the time?" Duff looked at Steven with devil eyes.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are. What, just because he looks like a girl. You big idiot!"

"Shut up, long legs."

Duff stomped off, giving Steven the finger as he climbed the stairs.

"What's with him?" Steven turned to Slash.

"Oh I don't know, probably woman shit."

Later.......

Axl woke up, and looked over at Izzy to check that he was still sleeping. He was still in pain and he felt like his life was over. If he couldn't even defend himself against some rough ass mother like Mr Dick Face, then what the hell was he doing? After about five minutes of deliberation he decided on a plan. He listened to make sure Izzy was still sleeping, then he slipped on his shoes and went to the bathroom and took a box of painkillers from the top shelf of the medicine cabinet. Then he walked down the stairs. He opened the door to the cupboard under the stairs and got a bottle of vodka. Then he sneaked back upstairs, sat on the bed and proceeded to open the painkillers. He took a few with a swig of vodka and carried on drinking. He took some more painkillers, got in the bed and lay down, imagining Izzy waking up and finding something he didn't want to find in the morning.


	12. Chapter 12

When Axl woke up, Izzy was still sleeping. Axl drank some more vodka. 

"I'm still here," he thought. "Dammit!" and went back to sleep.

When Izzy woke up three hours later: "Mornin' sleepy head."

"Fuck off!"

"What's up with you?"

"Uhhhh, stress headache."

"Don't give me that. But I'm thinking it might have something to do with this?" Izzy held up the now empty bottle of vodka.

"I said fuck off."

"And I said....HEY! How many of these did you take?" Izzy spied the packet of tablets. 

"Not enough. Obviously, because I'm still fuckin' here."

"Oh well, if you're gonna be like that! I'm gonna go get a shower."

"Izzy. Wait!"

"What?"

"Come here." Axl looked more vulnerable than Izzy thought he'd ever seen him, and he'd known Axl since they had been very small growing up in Lafayette.

Meanwhile....

"Oh here we go. Do you think they're gonna....."

"What?" asks Slash, adding "you shouldn't be doing that," when he saw Steven with his ear up against the door, listening for noises from the bedroom.

"What on earth?" Duff joins in.

"Shhhhhh," pleaded Slash, "let's listen to see if they fuck, or maybe they're gonna kill each other."

Axl has cottoned on to what the boys are doing on the other side of the door. "Izzy, come here. Yep, like this, noooo, come closer. Izzy, oh fuck man, did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

Izzy is stunned, and looks at Axl with a very puzzled expression on his face. "Izzy, those lazy fat assed idiots are listening to us. Just play along, okay? They think we're, well, fucking doing it!"

"Well?"

"Don't tempt me, Isbell. Come on, no in the bed, you moron, there's no heating in here!"

After a while, Steven, dared by Slash and Duff, opened the door. To his horror he found Axl and Izzy snuggled up in the bed. Shocked, he left the room, taking one last look through the door as he closed it.

"Fuck off, Boof Head!" yelled Axl.

"Dammit!" thought Steven to himself, as he mooched down the stairs.


	13. Chapter 13

Slash woke up early. Steven was still angry at being told where to go by Axl the previous evening. Duff was already up, cleaning the bathroom, and Izzy and Axl, well.......

"When are you two love birds getting up? I want to make the bed!" Slash called out.

"Since when do you want to make the bed? Oh, hang on I get it. You bastards!" Axl yelled back, accidentally waking up Izzy.

"You woke me up you ass hole!"

"Well? Come on, get your lazy ass up!"

It took longer than usual to get everybody up, dressed and out of the house, because Steven lost his wallet, Slash left the heating on and had to go back and switch it off, and Duff got so pissed off waiting around, he went on ahead. When they had done the shopping, and had Axl's usual argument about how much of the weekly rent they should spend on beer and cigarettes, they took off for home. When they returned, they found the front door open.

"Well, this is weird!" thought Duff, "or maybe it's not weird at all. Maybe it's Steven, forgetting to close the door again."

Then he found the note: "HEY BAILEY. I WANT MY MONEY BY THE END OF THE WEEK OR YOU'LL BE A DEAD MAN!"

"Well, that's not Steven," he thought to himself, followed by "AXL!"

"What?" 

"Look."

Axl went pale as he read the note. "All that money I keep under the bed, it's gone. What in hell am I gonna do now?"

"I know," Izzy answered him. "Haven't we got anything we can sell?"

"Nooooo," wailed Steven, placing a hand protectively over his tupperware box of weed.

"Well, I'm gonna have to have a long think," moaned Axl to himself.

Izzy however, was determined he wouldn't be alone to come up with his plan. "I'm gonna help you, because I love you."

"I love you too Izz, but we're fucked!"

And all the while they didn't notice the same man from before watching at their window......


	14. Chapter 14

Axl was petrified. He'd tried vodka to block out the pain, and valium, and everything else he could think of, but nothing worked. Duff could tell something was up, so he said "Don't worry, I'm sure us five idiots can come up with something. When does he want it, the end of the week?"

"Yup," Axl didn't even look at Duff, he couldn't look at any of them. He wanted to do something he'd always done throughout the troubles of his life. Run. And keep running. With or without help.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I dunno, get a bank loan, and if they don't let me, rob the bank instead?"

"Good idea, but you don't have a gun."

"Uh yeah I kinda realise that."

"Well, we got this." Duff pulled out a rolling pin from the kitchen drawer and presented Axl with it.

"What in the hell am I supposed to do with that?"

"Duh, hit something, or rather, someone."

"But if I do that, I'll be arrested."

"You'll be dead when he shoots you. Well, its up to you. Do what you want, but we've got your back."

"I need to get out. I'm going for a walk."

"Okay, but we'll be here when you need us."

Steven and Slash both voiced their disapproval at Axl leaving the house with the threat of being beaten up, or worse, hanging over his head, but he went anyway, Izzy trotting after him, shadowing his every move.

They walked for half an hour, stopping at every bank they could find, to try and get money from Axl's account, but all the banks refused as his account was empty.

"Shit," Axl swore under his breath. "There are no more banks here, what the hell we gonna do now?"

"God knows," replied Izzy. Suddenly, they both stopped dead, and listened. They both heard it.

"What the fuck was that?" hissed Axl.

"I dread to think." Izzy shuddered as they heard it again.

"Sounds like a gun." Axl went pale. 

"Axl. Get down!" Izzy hissed. Another gun shot. Izzy instinctively flung himself across Axl as they heard another. Making it look as if Axl had been hit, and not wanting to reveal his true identity, Izzy yelled "WILLIAM!"

Axl looked up, realised he had blood on himself, and fainted.


	15. Chapter 15

When Axl came around, he was in the street. He understood he had to get out of there and fast. But he didn't. He caught sight of himself in a shop window and nearly fainted again. He had blood running down his face. Then he looked over to his side and saw something that left him cold. His best friend, half dead, on the sidewalk. Axl quickly moved to check on Izzy. 

"Izzy, come on, Izz, wake up." He remembered how to check for a pulse and breathing and all that shit he'd seen in the movies, but it didn't stop the feeling of dread bubbling up inside him.

"Oh come on Jeff, fuck sake. This just isn't funny any more."

Axl took a closer look, and seeing the blood leaking from Izzy's shoulder, ripped off his shirt to patch the wound. Suddenly Izzy spoke. "Who the hell are you? What are you doin'?"

Axl looked up at him. "It's me. That creepy guy who's been stalkin' us, he shot at you. Do you wanna die out here, or what?" Axl paused, disturbed by the sound of footsteps nearby. He looked up. "Thank God! Oh crap, Slash. What in the hell have I done?"

"YOU did this? You asshole. WHY?"

"No of course not, you motherfucker. You know that creepy man, well, he shot at us." 

"Uh, no shit man, really?" Slash replied with a dose of sarcasm, earning himself a punch on the nose from Axl.

"Goddamn you!" Slash picked himself up off the floor. "Quit that, you red headed moron, and what in the hell are we gonna do with dead guy over there?"

"Quit calling me dead guy! I'm not dead yet. And shut up."

Axl fell to his knees beside Izzy. He produced a bottle of vodka from his pocket. "Here. Drink."

"What the fuck is that gonna do?"

"Well, you'll either be sick on me or it'll take the pain away."

"It's gotta be better than this," Izzy took a long swig of the vodka.

"Oh there you are, now is someone gonna tell me what the fuck is goin' on?" Duff stood over them. He observed the scene. Steven came running up, panting like a dog on a hot day. He looked over at Axl. "What on earth have you done now?"

"No disrespect, WILLIAM, but vodka just won't cut it this time. I think this is a hospital jobby." And Izzy passed out.


	16. Chapter 16

While Izzy was still in the hospital, Axl sulked. The rest of the boys didn't know what to say or do to snap him out of it, so one day, Duff decided to take Slash to visit Izzy, while Steven drew the short straw and had to stay at home with Axl. 

"Brilliant!" thought Steven as he got dressed and made the bed. "I've got a whole day with HIM!" but thankfully, Axl was still asleep. He usually stayed up past midnight, and was up again by 6am, but not today.

Meanwhile, Izzy was asleep when *knock knock*

"Come in," Izzy called out, hoping it was Axl, however, he had to hide his disappointment when Duff and Slash walked in. 

"Where's Axl?" 

"Still sleeping when we left," replied Slash.

Izzy looked away, trying not to show his emotions.

"Why?" Duff asked.

"Oh, nothin' just thought he would have been to visit me by now. Or is he sick, or somethin'?"

"No, he just has a bad mood on."

"And he's wearing it well," added Slash, plonking himself on the bed beside Izzy. "Anyway, enough of that moron, how are you doin' man?"

"Yeah, I'm good, should be outta here in a couple days."

"Did they take the bullet out?" asked Duff.

"Uh, yeah, they're gonna give it to me so I can scare Axl with it."

"Izzy?" Slash studied him intently. "What's with you and him, is something goin' on that we should know about?"

"Uh, I, I can't. I don't know. It's just....."

"What?"

"I.....I well,"

"Oh come on man, get on with it!"

"I LOVE HIM, Slash!"

"Well fuck me sideways!" Duff almost fainted with the shock. 

Slash however, replied with, "What? You can't love that moron! He's the one what nearly got you killed, and you, you LOVE him?"

Izzy suddenly felt sick. "I'm not feeling too good right now, do you mind?"

"Okay, man, we'll see you later." 

"Oh, and Duff?"

"What?"

"Don't tell him, will y'all? I'm waitin' for the right time."

"Your secret's safe," replied Slash, "and we won't tell Steven either, because he won't be able to keep his trap shut."

And with that, they left. Izzy gave himself another dose of pain meds and tried to doze off again, but all he could think of was that red headed moron.

Meanwhile.....

Axl had woken up and was stomping around the house like an elephant on heat.

"Who used all the coffee, motherfucker?" 

"Calm down. Right now." Steven stood up to him. Axl didn't like it, but he backed off. "I guess I better go empty the trash can." After wheeling the trash can down the driveway and dumping it out front, Axl came trailing back, shoe laces undone, his red hair falling from his loose ponytail and flopping everywhere. He sat down on the sofa and with his head in his hands. 

"I'm sorry man, I just.....I just can't do this shit anymore."

"It's okay. Come here." Steven plonked himself down beside Axl. "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong, or am I gonna have to sit here for a week?"

"I haven't felt like myself in a long time, maybe since we left Lafayette, and while Izzy's been away, I feel like there's a hole where he used to be, and I can't explain it. I guess I just don't feel whole anymore. Do you get me?"

"Yeah, I get you, man." Steven threw an arm around Axl and they sat next to each other in silence. After a while Steven looked up. "Hey, that's enough of that, are you goin' all soft on me? Come on." He tore off a strip of toilet roll and passed it to Axl. Axl quickly wiped his eyes with the toilet roll, not wanting Steven to see that he had any emotions whatsoever inside him. He had to keep his tough guy image up, for Christ sake, and here he was falling apart in front of Steven. 

"What's up?" Steven asked. "You don't have to tell me."

"Uh, nothin', it's fine. I guess I'm just tired," Axl thanked God he was a good liar.

"No, man, you've been actin' all weird lately. There's gotta be somethin' else."

"Okay, well....." Axl suddenly looked nervous. "I.....I fuckin' love him, Stevie. I can't do it without him anymore. If I'm not with Izzy, then I'm not me."

"Oh, wow. Well, I kinda get you." And Steven held him tight as Axl sobbed into the toilet roll.


	17. Chapter 17

After the boys had thought of all the ways to welcome Izzy back when he came out of the hospital, they came up with the idea of producing a big banner right across the front lawn. But....on second thoughts, Axl decided a bed sheet with WELCOME HOME IZZY! written on it in laundry marker would have to do instead. Slash and Duff trotted off to the shops with the wheely bag and they hadn't been gone long when......

"So, are you gonna tell him?" Steven asked, making himself a cup of tea and pouring one for Axl.

"Thanks man, uh, no. I don't know, I mean, I don't wanna just come out with, I nearly killed your ass, but I love you!"

"Why not? I think its kinda cute."

"Well, you're not Izzy, and I don't love you. And HE might think it's kinda creepy!"

"I thought everyone loves me. At least that's what Slash tells me." Steven looked hurt. 

"Ohhhhhh I'm sorry man, I DO love you, just not the way I love Izzy."

Suddenly......*errrrrrrrrrrrr* and the door creaked open.....

"IZZY!" yelled Steven, jumping on him and holding him in a bear hug. Axl however, at that very moment, felt very sick and ran out of the room. That was quickly followed by running footsteps on the stairs and the slam of the bedroom door. 

"Hey, easy man. What, did you miss me or somethin'?" Izzy pulled back, averting his eyes so Steven didn't see the disappointment that fell over his face when he realised Axl wasn't there.

"Yeah of course, we all did. How are you?"

"I'll survive. And I'll have worse," replied Izzy, glancing up the stairs. "Where's Axl?"

"Upstairs," replied Steven. "You should go see him."

Izzy silently wondered why Axl hadn't been there to welcome him home. Slowly he climbed the stairs, crossed the landing and knocked the door. "Axl? Can I come in?"

Getting no answer Izzy opened the door. Axl was sitting on his bed, taking a long swig from a bottle of what Izzy only imagined was vodka. "Hey! I missed you." He paused, looked at Axl again, and said "What's wrong, man? Have I done something? You don't wanna see me, or what? Did something happen?"

Axl didn't answer, in fact he didn't even look up. He suddenly came over feeling faint again. "Not now Izz, I need to rest."

"What? Are you sick, man?" He ran a hand through Axl's long red hair.

"I SAID NOT NOW, Isbell. Now FUCK OFF!"

And with that Izzy left the room. Axl laid down and tried to think how he could make the sick feeling go away. He felt all light headed and dizzy like he had the first day in high school when he'd first laid eyes on Jeffrey Isbell. 


	18. Chapter 18

Izzy remembered back to the time when he first met Axl. They were about 14. Lolloping towards Izzy comes the long red haired outcast. He shoots Izzy a look of utter contempt, and carries on walking. 

"Shit!" thinks Izzy to himself. "Here comes the hell raiser. Shall I run now, before I get bitch slapped into the Wabash river, and a dog will find my remains three years later?"

"What do you think you're lookin' at, punk?"

"Nothin'," Izzy decided to say "fuck it" and stand up for himself.

"And why do you think you're lookin' at me, punk?"

"Because I uh, I don't know." Oh God, those eyes. Izzy thought to himself. He's looking right through me. Fuck!

"William Bailey, but you can call me Axl. And don't look at me. I don't like it."

"Turn around then."

Axl turned around. "Oh no. Nice ass!" thought Izzy. "I'm Jeff Isbell, but you can call me Izzy. Everybody else does."

"Everybody round here calls me Wild Thing, or Asshole. Whatever comes to mind first."

Axl turned back towards Izzy. Izzy noticed he had bruises around his eyes and a big cut down his face.

"How did you do that?"

"What, this? I, uh, I got in a fight with someone who wants to kick my ass." Well, thought Axl to himself, that certainly sounded better than "I've got a violent sex pest for a step father, and if I don't let him near my sister, he beats me up to hell."

"Why don't you come back to mine tonight? It might stop you getting punched in the face again."

"Shhhhh, don't tell anyone!" Izzy realised Axl must be hiding something, and kept his mouth shut.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Axl went running down the hallway. Once out of Izzy's way he took a good look at himself in the bathroom mirror. "Shit," he hissed, wiping the blood off his face with toilet roll. He tied his hair back and returned to Izzy.

Oh my! thought Izzy. "He actually likes me. What in the hell am I gonna do now?"

"Hey."

"Hey Wild Thing, you okay now?"

"Yeah I guess."

"Come here." Izzy couldn't stop himself. All manner of things were running through his head. I never thought I would find someone who made me feel whole, but I just have. But what if he doesn't feel that way about me? Oh fuck it.

Axl suddenly pulled away. He ran back to the bathroom. "What in the hell am I doing?" he asked himself. "My step father is gonna kill me when he finds out I have a friend who likes me in THAT way!" He slipped the retainer off his teeth and into his pocket, so Izzy wouldn't notice it. "Dammit!" he hissed, and vomited into the sink.


End file.
